Summary
- The Last of Us season two’s trailer is massively outpacing previous trailers
- Viewing figures for the first season are strong ahead of the new series
- Big twists are coming for TV audiences unaware of the game’s story
Before the first season of The Last of Us aired, there was apprehension mixed with the inevitable excitement. Though the track record has improved considerably of late, video game adaptations are still pretty risky. Would it live up to the game’s quality? Would it respect the game’s narrative? Would its additions feel like subtractions? So on and so forth.
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Flash forward to the second season, and these worries have faded. HBO’s first season was a smash hit, and while some fears remain – pointedly around Abby’s lack of muscules and the potential erasure of Dina’s faith – the mood is much more positive. Or at least, as positive as you can get for a tale as dark and nihilistic as The Last of Us. That positivity is reflected in the trailer viewing figures.
The Last Of Us Is More Popular Than Ever
As spotted by Eurogamer, The Last of Us’ most recent trailer has amassed 158 million views in its first three days as people search for hints as to what changes might be made to the game’s narrative. This means it is outperforming the previous teasers by “a margin of at least” 160 percent as viewers flock to soak up as much as possible ahead of the season premiere on April 13. That’s a Sunday, rather than a Friday, but given the devastating opening of the second game, it still might prove to be unlucky for some.
But this surge in popularity is not just reserved for the trailer. When the first season finale aired, showing Joel fighting through the hospital to save Ellie, it racked up 8.2 million viewers – a record for same-day figures on HBO. In the run-up to season two’s release, the first season is currently averaging around 32 million, and will look to carry that massive momentum into the second season. Will the plot twists be as divisive on television as they were in the video game? Will the story even play out the same? We won’t find out until the show airs, but if the trailer figures are any indication, there will be an awful lot of us finding out at the same time.
Another thing to look out for in The Last of Us season two is the spores. Not present in the first series as they were replaced by tendrils, they are confirmed to return this time, and there may be one major reason for that.